


Fortunately, I Tripped Over an Angel

by NEStar



Category: Sanditon (TV 2019), Sanditon - Jane Austen
Genre: F/M, Swimming
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-28
Updated: 2019-10-28
Packaged: 2021-01-05 12:00:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 500
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21208184
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NEStar/pseuds/NEStar
Summary: The morning after returning from London Charlotte and Sidney are both looking for a quiet moment, and their thoughts lead them to the same place. Too bad Charlotte in the only one to find any peace of mind.





	Fortunately, I Tripped Over an Angel

The early morning sunlight cast a soft glow into the room, falling softly onto Charlotte's face and gently rousing her from sleep.

Laying in bed and stretching, the one thought that over rid all others was the desire for the sea. She had gotten into the habit of going out to the bathing machines every other day. The feeling of the waves swinging her body around while bobbing to and fro was a bracing way to start the day. But after the last week – a week of being jerked up and down, one way and then another, emotionally – Charlotte had no wish to do battle with the sea.

What she truly longing for was the small pond back in Willingden. In truth it was more of a wide spot in a small creek that ran behind her house. A set of willow trees on each side made it the perfect spot for just floating.

Willow trees... There had been several by the river. She had seen them the day of the picnic with Georgiana and Otis. Perhaps there would be a spot where she could swim. Even if it wasn't as secluded as her pond at home this was Sanditon – any one who wanted to swim would go to the sea.

~*~*~*~*~*~

The morning mist was still clinging to the banks of the river, swirling in eddies around his legs as Sidney walked along the river. Normally the sea calmed him like nothing else but he had tried walking down to the cove and found himself assaulted by thoughts of Miss Haywood. Even when she wasn't in a place physically her spirit seemed to linger there. Reliving his embarrassment was not conducive to his state of mind so he had sought out a place that had no ties to her at all.

The soft rushing of the river was working it way into his brain and carrying all his worries along with it. No thoughts of his failure as a guardian or the frantic feeling that had never left his stomach since the moment he saw Eliza across the ballroom, just the morning song of birds and... splashing?

Looking around, a spot of white caught his eye in a small oxbow off the main river. What on earth could it be? Moving quietly, so as not to scare the creature off, Sidney slowly made his way closer. His progress was stopped when he came across a piling of clothing. Half boots, a bright pink spencer, a bonnet trimmed with a distinctive blue ribbon... Good god, was Charlotte swimming out there?

A barrage of images ran through his mind in an instant: Charlotte coming out here and removing these clothes, Charlotte walking into the river like some nymph from mythology, Charlotte with her shift billowing around her legs before it became wet enough to cling to her, her shift clinging to her...

Suddenly sympathetic with what she must have gone through Sidney turned and ran.

In the river Charlotte continued to swim.


End file.
